Using Video to Market Your Practice

Original post date: March 2017. Updated June 24, 2020.

While written content is still very important to have on your practice’s website, the trend is moving toward video content.

Think about it–you come across video content on a variety of platforms throughout the day. When you’re scrolling through social media, videos are always more eye-catching than text-only posts. You can watch the video and quickly digest the information.

We live in a society where people are always on the go. They don’t always have the time to read a full article. However, most people can spare a minute or two to watch a quick video if they think it will be helpful or entertaining.

Also, consider this fact: YouTube is the 2nd most popular site on the web. Only Google surpasses YouTube in popularity. Google owns YouTube, so Youtube videos are also prominently displayed in search results where relevant.

Facebook has also done a lot to emphasize video content. You can make and post videos directly to Facebook, or post your videos from YouTube. Videos play automatically as people scroll through their timelines, so it’s more eye-catching than a photo.

These facts indicate that video marketing is the next logical step for marketing your practice online.

While video marketing for a medical practice might look very different than video marketing for other businesses, there are still several things you can do to provide video content to your patients. Try creating these types of videos for your practice.

Video Introductions & Bios for Doctors

Putting video introductions on doctor bio pages can help patients learn more about the doctor’s personality and what to expect. Patients may be able to get some of this information from the written bio, but it’s much easier to convey personality through video than it is through written copy. Video is reassuring to patients because it allows them to “meet” the doctor before making an appointment.

Video introductions don’t need to be very lengthy. Just a minute or two is really all you need, and ideally no more than 5 minutes. You want to create something that patients can watch quickly, so only cover the most important and impactful points. Have talking points or a script planned out beforehand so you know what to say. Remember, the trend is moving toward content that can be consumed quickly. If patients have to carve out 10 minutes of time just to watch your video introductions, they’ll either avoid it altogether or won’t watch the whole thing.

A great example of this is our client Dr. Craig Greene in Baton Rouge. The video is short, but it was filmed professionally and really gives patients a sense of how he is as a person and a doctor.

Office Tours

Office tours are another way to help patients familiarize themselves with your practice before ever stepping through the door. These types of videos can be used to show off your facilities and services. Video tours are also reassuring to patients because it gives them an idea of what to expect when they arrive for their first appointment at your practice.

Just like with doctor bios, video tours don’t have to be longer than a couple of minutes. In particular, emphasize features of your office that patients would be most interested in–your waiting room, exam rooms, etc. This is also a good time to emphasize any features or amenities designed to make office visits easier on your patients, such as on-site physical therapy or a play area for children.

Educational Videos

Sometimes, it can be daunting to patients to read a full-length article on different procedures and conditions. Even if you simplify the terminology, it can sometimes be difficult to explain everything with text alone. This is one way that video can be extremely helpful.

You don’t need to provide anything too graphic, like a real-life demonstration of a surgical procedure. Some patients will be put off and grossed out by seeing the actual procedure. Animations and graphics may be more helpful in illustrating your points without having to show the actual procedure. They also make it easier to show how a particular procedure or condition affects the internal structures in the body. This can be especially helpful for more complex procedures. It can be difficult for patients to understand what happens during a procedure with words alone. A video animation of the procedure can serve as a visual aid to complement the content you already have about your specialties.

Educational video could also come in the form of quick tips. These kinds of videos can be helpful for a variety of topics, including ways to stay healthy, exercise tips, pre-op or post-op tips, etc. These types of videos are easily shareable, and health and wellness tips in particular are great content to share on social media. It’s another way to keep patients informed and make sure they are getting good, accurate health information.

Video Testimonials

Testimonials in any form are a great way to show off your practice’s expertise through satisfied patients. However, video testimonials may be even more effective than written testimonials. It allows patients to see that the testimonials are coming from actual, real people, which helps to remove some of the skepticism that sometimes comes along with online testimonials.

Medicine is, by nature, a physical thing. This is especially true for orthopedic practices, as you are treating patients who have issues with mobility due to a chronic condition or injury. Video testimonials allow potential patients to physically see how your treatment has affected the patient. Even if you treat internal problems, people are able to see in the video that the patient is healthy and happy. That, more than anything else, is very reassuring for patients considering your practice.

Tips on Video Marketing

If video marketing is something your practice would like to try, here are few quick tips:

• Hire a professional if possible. You’ll get the best results if you hire a professional to film and edit for you.
• Use good lighting. If your marketing budget can’t accommodate hiring a professional, make sure you are shooting with a good camera in good lighting.
• Shoot in landscape mode. If you’re just shooting a quick video with a mobile phone, turn the phone sideways to landscape mode–you’ll get a better end result for your video.
• Have a script prepared. The filming process will go a lot more smoothly if you know what you are going to say. Don’t read off a paper while you are filming. You might be able to use cue cards, but it shouldn’t come across as though you are reading. You have to be able to deliver it naturally, which will require you to practice and possibly memorize your script.

Video content helps your practice in two ways. First, it allows you to provide content in a format that is more likely to catch the attention of potential patients. Second, it allows you to help patients fully understand your practice in a way that written content alone cannot. It’s reassuring to patients and makes them feel more comfortable. That, in turn, increases the odds that the patient will book an appointment.